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This week's Rare Bird Alert

This is New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, March 13.

A northern lapwing was seen and photographed on Upper City Road, about two miles from Route 28, in Loudon on March 10. Birders are encouraged to scan farm fields in the area from the road to attempt to relocate this rare European visitor. It may be seen in the same bare-ground habitat utilized by early-returning killdeer.

An immature red-headed woodpecker has been coming to a birdfeeder on Grafton Road in Alexandria since Dec. 13, and was last reported on March 12.

A black vulture was seen with a flock of turkey vultures in Salem on March 13.

A greater white-fronted goose was seen with a flock of 65 Canada geese in the marsh at Portsmouth's Urban Forest on March 12, and a brant was seen in Hampton Harbor on the 13.

A thick-billed murre was seen in Rye Harbor on March 11 and 12.

A northern shrike was seen off of Daniel Webster Highway in Merrimack, across the street from the Anheuser-Busch Plant, on March 11, 12, and 13.

A flock of 28 Bohemian waxwings, and a flock of 80 common redpolls were reported from Westmoreland, all on March 6.

A flock of 20 purple sandpipers was reported from Rye Harbor on March 11.

A red-throated loon was seen in the Merrimack River in Hooksett, and two great cormorants were seen in the Merrimack River in Concord, all on March 11.

A pied-billed grebe was seen in Portsmouth on March 10.

An American wigeon and a northern pintail were seen on the Merrimack River in Bow, both during the past week.

A northern saw-whet owl was heard in Webster on March 11.

A peregrine falcon was seen in Dover on March 8.

A rusty blackbird was seen in Nashua on March 11, and one was seen in Rochester on the 12th.

A hermit thrush was seen in Henniker on March 8.

A fox sparrow was reported from Exeter on March 11.

A fish crow was reported from Salem, and one was reported from Pembroke, both on March 13.

There were several red-shouldered hawk, turkey vulture, killdeer and American woodcock reported during the past week.

This information also available by phone recording: call 224-9909 and press 2 as directed or ask to be transferred. If you have seen any interesting birds recently, you can leave a message at the end of the recording or send your sightings to the RBA via e-mail at: birdsetc@nhaudubon.org. Please put either "bird sighting" or "Rare Bird Alert" in the subject line and be sure to include your mailing address and phone number. The RBA is also available on-line at the New Hampshire Audubon web site, www.nhaudubon.org.